I had the honour in June 2024 of speaking to some of the veterans who landed on the beaches of Normandy June 6 1944. This was at a major commemorative event which took place in Portsmouth. Some of the veterans then set sail across the Channel, mirroring their pivotal journey 80 years earlier.

I spoke not only to the brave men who took part in the largest amphibious invasion in military history – codenamed Operation Neptune – but also women who served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force as wireless operators and those who joined the Women’s Land Army, replacing male farm workers who were fighting in the war.

This was part of PA Media’s extensive coverage of the anniversary and also involved reporting on preparations for the large-scale D-Day 80 Commemoration event, compiling quotes from D-Day veterans, and contributing to live coverage of a national memorial ceremony held in Ver-sur-Mer in Normandy, France, which was attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla.

At the event in Portsmouth, I was fortunate enough to interview a poet, Tomos Roberts, who had performed his specially written piece The People Who Gave Us Today on stage in front of D-Day veterans and hundreds of gathered spectators, among them the King, Queen, Prince of Wales, and then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.